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Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I
Published on: April 10, 2018
Dynamic alterations in H4K12 acetylation during meiotic maturation and after parthenogenetic activation of mouse
Ze Zhang1, Baobao Chen2, Haoliang Cui1
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei Province, 071000China.
Abstract:
The aim of the study was to investigate the continuous changing pattern of H4K12 acetylation, and the expression levels of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetyltransferases (HDACs) in mouse oocytes during meiosis and after parthenogenetic activation (PA). The immunofluorescence results showed hyperacetylation of lysine-12 on histone H4 (H4K12) in the germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes that then decreased during germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), and disappeared in metaphase II (MII). However, it reappeared in the early 1-cell embryos derived after 4 h of PA. The expression levels of some selected HATs and HDACs also validated the changing pattern of H4K12 acetylation during meiosis and PA. In conclusion, H4K12 is deacetylated in GVBD and MII, and re-hyperacetylated after PA.
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